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2018 Budget

2018 Adopted Budget Information

On December 21, 2017, the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Board of Trustees adopted the Library’s 2018 Budget. Previously, on December 7th, the Erie County Legislature adopted a 2018 County Budget with amendments. The Legislature supported the Library’s allocation and while they approved modest amendments in other parts of the County Budget, none changed the County Executive’s 2018 Budget allocation for the Library.

The 2018 Operating and Grants Budget sustains library operations and services at current levels. Further, it incorporates the impacts of contractually obligated costs related to current labor agreements; those approved for unrepresented and managerial/confidential employees via previous Board Resolutions; along with a reserve for labor agreements not yet settled. Current agreements provide for modest wage adjustments as well as employee contributions towards the cost of health care and provisions limiting the employer share of both active and retiree health care costs over the longer term. The Library’s overall operating budget, including State Aid and library revenue, increases 1.6% from 2017’s $27,550,344 to $27,997,864 in 2018. Including grants, the combined total increases 1.6% from 2017’s $28,234,794 to $28,682,534 in 2018.

While not part of the Library’s operating budget, the County’s Capital Budget provides $1,050,000 to support improvements to the county-owned downtown Central Library; specifically, $400,000 for continued rehabilitation of the 50+ year old building’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and $650,000 to complete Central Library Auditorium Rehabilitation and Asbestos Abatement.

2018 Proposed Budget

On Monday October 16, 2017 Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz released his 2018 Proposed Budget.

The Library appreciates and thanks Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz for recommending a county funding increase of $478,872 (2.0%) to libraries in his 2018 Proposed Budget through funds generated by growth in the equalized full value property tax base. As the tax base is estimated to have grown by almost 6%, the Library Tax Rate per $1,000 will decline modestly. The additional funding will help offset increased contractually obligated costs while sustaining Library operations and services, including expanded open hours implemented in 2017. We sincerely hope that the full Legislature will approve the County Executive’s proposal and appreciate their past support.

County funding of $24,422,489, combined with funding from New York State of $2,228,411 in operating aid, use of $498,684 in Library fund balance, and $848,280 in other library revenue, brings the Library’s 2018 proposed operating budget to $27,997,864; a modest 1.6% increase over the 2017 Adopted Budget. In addition to the operating budget, $684,670 in state aid is included in the Library Grants Budget.

Erie County’s 2018 Proposed Capital Budget will support improvements to the county owned downtown Central Library. Specifically, $400,000 for continued rehabilitation of the 50+ year old building’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and $650,000 to complete Central Library Auditorium Rehabilitation and Asbestos Abatement.

We believe the County Executive’s budget is a vote of confidence for the work the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library is doing on behalf of the community. The Library is committed to providing access to quality resources and information in a variety of formats and technologies to meet its mission: Connecting our diverse community with library resources that enrich, enlighten and entertain.

The next event in the budget review process will be the Library’s budget hearing before the Erie County Legislature’s Finance & Management/Budget Committee tentatively scheduled for 12:00 pm Tuesday November 14, 2017 in the Legislative Chambers, 92 Franklin Street, 4th Floor, Buffalo, NY. A public hearing/comment opportunity on the overall County Budget will be scheduled for later in November, also in the Legislative Chambers.

Information on the proposed budget may be found in the links below. This page will be updated as the budget process moves forward.

The BECPL is not responsible for any of the facts or opinions contained on any linked sites.
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